Release date: 27/08/2022

Young Horses
During Summer Event II they were unbeatable and won all three Young Horses classes, the Irish top rider Darragh Kenny and his seven-year-old Hanoverian mare Serendepety. Today, in the first class of the second day of the Longines Global Champions Tour Valkenswaard, they were again untouchable and were over 2.5 seconds faster than second-placed Rodrigo Giesteira Almeida. The Stolzenberg daughter went through the course with lightning speed and stopped the clock at 57.33 seconds. The 34-year-old top rider, who runs his own stable, Oakland Stables, with branches in Wellington (USA) and Meijel (NED), can be satisfied and confirmed his role as favourite with this round. The 29-year-old Brazilian Giesteira Almeida rode his clear round with Karonia L (KWPN, Harley VDL x G-Ramiro Z) in 59.92 seconds. Janika Sprunger from Switzerland came third with Kinmar Scarlet. Best six-year-old was La Pleasure (KWPN, For Pleasure x Alicante HBC) with Dutch rider Sanne Thijssen in fourth place.

CSI2* Big Tour
Britain's Nicole Lockhead Anderson decided the Big Tour 1.45m direct time class early on in the competition. Her round with the beautiful grey Chilli (DSP, Colestus x Colorit) was so fast that no one after her could better it. It is not the first victory for the 20-year-old, who already won a gold team medal at the 2018 European Pony Championships. At the Longines Global Future Champions in early August, she managed to win all Young Riders classes (1.35m). The mare is owned by Tom Williams and was previously ridden by Donald Whitaker and Guy Willlams, among others. Second place was for the Belgian Alexander Housen with Warriors Glory (AES, Warrior x Caretino Glory). Dutch rider Jur Vrieling, who recently won team silver at the World Championships in Herning, Denmark, came third with Grenoble DN (KWPN, Gaillard de la Pomme x Capitol II).

CSI2* Medium Tour
The American top rider Laura Kraut managed to win today’s 2* Medium Tour. The 56 year old from West Palm Beach, Florida, rode Cissro van Birthe Z (Zang, Cicero Z van Paemel x Tauber van het Kapelhof), which she only got under the saddle at the beginning of this month. That clearly did not keep her from the victory. Kraut can boast an enormous state of service and a lot of experience. She won team silver at the Olympic Games in Tokyo and team gold at the Olympic Games in Hong Kong. She also won a team gold medal at the 2018 World Championships in Tryon. Sweden's Angelica Augustsson-Zanotelli came second with the stallion Kendrick (OS, Kannan x Quattro 7). American Hayley Barnhill finished in second place with Cadeau JH (Westf, Comme Il Faut 5 x Arpeggio).

CSI2* Small Tour
Irish rider Diarmuid Howley had a very successful second day at Tops International Arena. He won the Small Tour, a competition in which the jump-off had to be ridden immediately after the clear round, with Uriga VA and also came third with his other horse Forino. A great achievement for this 31-year-old rider. He crossed the finish line in 31.47 seconds with the beautiful dark bay mare Uriga (Holst, Uriko x Clarimo) and with the stallion Forino (Holst, For Pleasure x Caretino 2) he achieved a time of 32.44 seconds. Inigo Lopez de la Osa Franco, who competes for Monaco, made a very good attempt to improve on Howley's time, but fell just short.  With Divina de la Cologne (SF, by Kannan) he finished in second place with a time of 31.69 seconds.

CSI1* 1.15m
The British Kathryn Fanshawe is in the winning mood. Yesterday she won the 1.10m class with Bow House Red and today she was the fastest with her other horse Dia Centa PS. The mare went through the course with an incredible speed and stopped the clock at 54.23 seconds. A beautiful and convincing victory. Second place was for 14-year-old Frenchman Arthus Chiabodo who crossed the finish line with the SF mare Farah de Tison (Korto Maltese x Desir du Chateau) in 59.90 seconds. Britain's Isabella Beecroft-Luckett finished in third place with Cevin's Heartbreaker (AES, Cevin Z x Heartbreaker).

CSI1* 1.25m
Belgian rider Kasper De Boeck was the fastest today in the 1* 1.25m class against the clock. The 15-year-old has been riding at Tops International Arena since 2019 and has been successful several times with Gerenia, among others. It was this KWPN mare (by Cantos) with whom he managed to win this competition convincingly. They realised a super fast time of 56.99 seconds.  Canadian rider Cassidy Rein needed over 3 seconds more to clear the course and finished, like yesterday, in second place with Cartoon Tame (SF, Conrad x Quidam de Revel). Third place was for Tess Carmichael and the Holsteiner mare Bangle SR (by Chin Chin).

CSI1* 1.35m
The numbers 1 and 2 from yesterday changed places in the 1* 1.35m class against the clock. Now it was Belgian Shari De Laet who claimed victory with the Holsteiner mare Cataleya (Cachas x Cassini II). The 26-year-old partner of Belgian international Johan Lenssens rode a real nice fast round in 59.05 seconds. Yesterday's winner Skye Morssinkhof made a good attempt to improve on De Laet's time, but fell just short and finished second. The 19-year-old Dutch rode her BWP mare Nina VH Scheefkasteel (Numero Uno x Diamant de Semilly) over the finish line in 59.20 seconds. Sander Kenis became third with Milana van de Nianahoeve (BWP, Inshallah de Muze x Andiamo Z) for Belgium.